This application describes new and unique methods using the latest design of anti-ballistic protection available in the construction of a wide variety of anti-ballistic shelters. Presently these materials are fabricated using not only Aramid fibers and KEVLAR® from DuPont, but also polyethylene fibers and GOLD SHIELD®, which is a KEVLAR® based material, and SPECTRA SHIELD®, which is polyethylene based material, both available commercially from Honeywell, GOLD SHIELD® and SPECTRA SHIELD® that are high strength synthetic fibers impregnated in partially cured resin for use in anti-ballistic material. Moreover, both of the Honeywell materials can be used as layered soft armor as well as in hard armor when they are autoclaved or compression molded into anti-ballistic components for construction of the Anti-ballistic Shelters, as shown and described. Other similar materials manufactured by any number of providers, of like purpose and functionality is also anticipated by this disclosure.
Bullet proofing or bullet-resistance is the process of making something capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles e.g. shrapnel. The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protection against all types of bullets, or multiple hits in the same location. Bullet designs vary widely, not only according to the particular firearm used (e.g. a 9×19 mm Parabellum caliber hollowpoint handgun cartridge will have inferior penetration power compared to a 7.62×39 mm assault rifle cartridge), but also within individual cartridge designs. As a result, whilst so-called “bullet-proof” panels may successfully prevent penetration by standard 7.62×39 mm bullets containing lead cores, the same panels may easily be defeated by 7.62×39 mm armor piercing bullets containing hardened steel penetrators.
Bullet-resistant materials, also called ballistic materials or, equivalently, anti-ballistic materials, are usually rigid, but may be supple. They may be complex, such as KEVLAR®, LEXAN®, and carbon fiber composite materials, or they may be basic and simple, such as steel or titanium. Bullet resistant materials are often used in law enforcement and military applications, to protect personnel from death or serious injuries.
With the advent of new materials and the improvement of manufacturing processes, items like ballistic-proof or bullet resistant structures can become practical. It is well known that the construction of bullet-proof vests is done by applying multiple layers of fabric woven from an aramid fiber together, which is sold by Du Pont under the Trade Mark KEVLAR, and has been done for many years. It can be used in a flexible state or laminated in a more rigid configuration. The success of the product is attained by multiple layers of the semi-impregnable flexible structure. This material combines high penetration resistance with lightness and flexibility but until presently no one has endeavored to manufacture items like Anti-ballistic Shelters of this material.
There is a growing need for methods of self-protection in an increasingly wide variety of locations. In the modern world, crimes and attacks committed by persons with guns are an ever more common occurrence. In the past, police personnel and military personnel have been the primary targets of gunfire which has been directed toward them during work or duty. Because of this continual risk of harm, bullet resistant vests and shields have been developed which may be deployed or worn on the user's body as a protective component of their work attire. Such devices, when employed for protection against weapons fire have worked fairly well in preventing a high velocity bullet or shell from penetrating the wearer's body since the velocity is slowed considerably.
It has been made clearly evident by the shooting at Fort Hood that additional means of self-protection has become very necessary. The mass shooting took place on Nov. 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, the most populous U.S. military installation in the world, located just outside Killeen, Tex. In the course of the shooting, a single gunman killed 13 people and wounded 29 others. According to witnesses, Army reserve Captain John Gaffaney attempted to stop Hasan, either by charging him or throwing a chair at him, but was mortally wounded in the process. Civilian physician assistant Michael Cahill also tried to charge Hasan with a chair before being shot and killed. Army reserve Specialist Logan Burnette tried to stop Hasan by throwing a folding table at him, but he was shot in the left hip, fell down, and crawled to a nearby cubicle.
Consequently, there exist a need for a methods which will give anti-ballistic protection to a wide variety of structures. It has been found through the endeavors of the inventor and the patent search that there is no method on the market and no apparent patents reviewed that have similar characteristics to the unique method of creating Anti-ballistic Shelters.
Numerous innovations for the Anti-ballistic Shelter have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present design as hereinafter contrasted. The following is a summary of those prior art patents most relevant to this application at hand, as well a description outlining the difference between the features of the Anti-ballistic Shelter and the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,686 of Wilfred A. Sankar describes a protective shield, comprising a frame. The frame having a frame top, a frame bottom, frame sides, and frame upper sides between the frame sides and frame top. The shield further having a front panel and a back panel, each made from a bullet-proof plastic fabric such as KEVLAR. The shield has a viewing window, made of a transparent bullet-proof material, such as LEXAN. A shield inner channel is mounted between the front panel and back panel. A first extension is mounted within the shield inner channel that slidably extends from the shield, bottom for use, and retracts for storage.
This patent describes a protective shield and it's construction only and does not endeavor to make any reference to using the design in the construction of a wide range of Anti-ballistic Shelters, doors, cots, pads, umbrellas and tents and does not describe the unique method of attaching the anti-ballistic materials to various pipe frame structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,495 of Wilfred A. Sanker describes a Total Body Protective device including a pair of fabric panels made of bullet-proof material, handles on an upper of the panel pieces for holding the device in front of a person, and a window through the top panel piece for observing an assailant, and means to roll up or fold the device when not in use.
This patent describes a Total Body Protective device but does not deal with sheltering devices such as Quonset buildings or huts, pipe frame structures, doors, cots, pads, umbrellas and tents.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,017,048 of James H. Carter describes an emergency shelter that includes a domed foam structure that is constructed on-site or at a remote location from foam that can be mixed on-site. The structure can be made on-site by spraying foam in a flowable state in a predetermined pattern to build up walls to form a dome. The foam can be sprayed, for example, in a substantially helical pattern from a centrally located spray nozzle that is rotated to deposit a finite-thickness increment of foam over a time period sufficient that, by the time the nozzle reaches a previously sprayed area, the foam already deposited has had time to cure.
This patent describes an emergency shelter that includes a domed foam structure but does not use the flexible anti-ballistic fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,987 of Marty Williams describes a support system for tents and other shelters. The support system includes base support members that are in the shape of an arch. These base support members are secured in a desired configuration by an upper support member that is in the shape of a circle or other geometrical shape. A roof support may be added as well. The size and configuration of the shelter may be easily changed by adding or deleting the number of base support members.
This patent describes a support system for tents and other shelters but additionally does not use the flexible anti-ballistic fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,882,849 of Matt Franta describes a flame-resistant fabric for shelters including a flame-resistant interior layer, a flame-resistant, insulating middle layer adjacent the interior layer, a flame-resistant exterior layer adjacent the insulating middle layer, and at least one threaded seam quilting the insulating middle layer between the interior layer and the exterior layer to form a flame-resistant fabric. The flame-resistant fabric is capable of being formed into a flame-resistant, insulated shelter for use in extreme weather.
This patent describes flame-resistant fabric for shelters but does address the use of flexible anti-ballistic fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,856,761 of James Heselden a protective shelter that can be used to provide protection within a war zone, and which can be readily assembled in a quick, secure and reliable manner. The shelter is formed of opposite outer walls and a roof structure extending there between, wherein the roof structure comprises a plurality of tray members supported by beam supports and in which the plurality of tray members is arranged to receive earth, sand or aggregate material so as to provide a first layer of protection via the roof structure. The tray members can be supported by beams serving to define a shallow arch across the shelter such that the internal height of the shelter centrally, and away from the opposite walls, which is greater than the height of the said walls.
This patent describes a protective shelter that can be used to provide protection through the use of earth, sand and aggregate material within a war zone, but does not address the use of the flexible anti-ballistic fabric used on the Anti-ballistic Shelters disclosed within this application.
None of these previous efforts, however, provides the benefits attendant with the Anti-ballistic Shelters. The present designs achieves their intended purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing readily available materials.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the methods of manufacturing Anti-ballistic Shelters in detail it is to be understood that the Anti-ballistic Shelters are not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement, of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The Anti-ballistic Shelters are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present methods of manufacturing Anti-ballistic Shelters. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application.